The present invention relates generally to power amplifiers, and more particularly, to a linearizer circuit for use with power amplifiers such as traveling wave tube and solid state power amplifiers.
Nippon Electric Corporation (NEC) has developed a linearizer circuit that uses an amplifier as a distortion generator. The NEC linearizer is rated at 4 watts, and weighs 650 grams. ANT Bosch Telecom has developed a linearizer bridge circuit. This system has dimensions of 2.6 centimeters by 1.6 centimeters. Four substrates are required to produce the ANT Bosch Telecom linearizer bridge circuit, and it cannot be used to adjust the power transfer curve of a traveling wave tube amplifier. The ANT Bosch Telecom linearizer bridge circuit has an architecture that is similar to the present invention, but is constructed using different components that provide lower performance than the present invention and that operate at higher power levels.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for an improved linearizer bridge circuit for use with a power amplifier. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide for a high performance linearizer circuit that operates at reduced power levels compared to conventional circuits.